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'c S. R. WILMOT, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

" .team Parent No, vosadaed acabe# 29, 1867,

Y IMPROVEMENT IN UNITIN G SHEET METALI one fitte .tzigane :stemt in in tiges: ietters tttmt mit mating niet nf ttt rami.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, S. R. WILMor, of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairield, and State of Connecticut, f have invented a new Improvement in UnitingSheet Metal; and I do hereby declaro the following, whenv taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, -and which said drawings constitute part of-.this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a view of a. sheet of metal prepared for uniting to form a tube. Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 different stages of the same in the process of uniting; and in 'A Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, the manner of 'uniting the two sheets of metal edge to edge. f This invention, designed with special reference to the construction .of lamp-tubes, is equally applicable to the uniting. of two edges of metal for other purposesgand consists in the peculiar manner of' preparing the i edges ofthe metal preparatory to uniting.

In order to the clear understanding of my improvement, I will proceed to describe the saure as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. i i

I will rst describe the process for forming the lamp-tube, such as are used for the common keroseneburner, and which are now drawn up from a. piece'of metal cut to the proper form, and in which cutting there is more or less waste.

lFrom a'sheet'of metal of the proper thickness I cut a plate, A, its two, edges being formed with teeth'or irregularities, the one edge corresponding to the other, sc that the projections upon one edge will set into the recesses of the other edge, and these may be of various forms, but I prefer that shown in the drawings, where the projections are round at the point, and the recesses the same. The plate A is then doubled into the form denoted in fig. 2. Then, by another operation, the two edges are brought together, so that the projections on the one set into the recesses on the other, the point ot' projection extending slightly beyond the root of the recess, as seen in fig. 3. Then, ina roll or other device preparedY for the purpose, the two edges are struck F together, as denoted in figs. 4 and 5. The points of the one projecting beyond the root ot' the recesses ot the i other, when rolled or struck down, expand and form a kind of dove-tail, as denoted in ig.5, which locks the two together in the most 4perfect manner, and without the use of solder or any waste of metal, `as the edge of one plate cut from the second forms a corresponding edge uponrthe other without any waste of metal.

I have represented this construction as for lamp-tubes, that is, a fiat tube; but tubes of any formmay be united in like manner. Y

To unite two sheets of metal having their edges formed as denoted in fig. 1, set one edge of each sheet G D into the other, as seen in fig. 6, the point of the projections in one overlapping the recess or redt of the other; then pass the' two through rollers or other device for compressing the joint, so as to flatten the whole to nl an even thickness, as denoted in iig. 7; the projecting points will expand and dove-tail the two parts together,

iii as denoted in fig. 8, nearly as strong as it ot' a single piece of metal. I

t, If for brazing or soldering two edges together, in order to give the strength to the jointcqual tothe strength of the metal, which it cannot have when the edges are simply butted together and soldcred,`I form the two edges in similar manner, as before described, and place the two together, as in iig. 9, then solder or brazo the two together in the usual manner, and the increased length of surface upon the edge which is soldered is so much more than the direct lengthof the edge as to increase the strength of the solder equal to the strength of the solid metal, and this without increasing the thickness at the joint. As I have before stated, the form of the edge may be varied from this I have shown, but thisI believe to be the best practical form for perfect work. I therefore do not claim any peculiar form of irregularity tothe edge, confining myself only to the fact that the irregularities ot' the one conform to the other, so that the projections of the one will fit into the recesses of the other, as hercinbef'ore described.

I am aware of the joint known as the braziers joint, but that I do not claim, as by thatthe thickness of the metal atgthe joint is nearly or quite doubled; but what I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi j The uniting of the two edges of metal by the formation of the corresponding edges, and uniting the same in the manner herein set forth.

s.v R. WrLMoT. -Witnesses:

A. J. Tissus, JOHN H. SHUMWAY. 

